1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utility knives and more particularly pertains to a new multi-purpose knife for providing multiple blades for convenience of use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of utility knives is known in the prior art. More specifically, utility knives heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art utility knives include U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,481, to Mears; U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,994, to Karas; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 310,474 to Bartsch et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,309 to Larsen; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 354,900 to Hirai; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,307 to Flood.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new multi-purpose knife. In contrast to the aforementioned patents, the inventive device includes an elongated housing having opposing side portions. Each of the opposing side portions includes a channel extending a length of the housing. The channels each have open outer ends and an open front face defined by opposed upper and lower edges. Central portions of the upper and lower edges include a plurality of teeth. A pair of slide mechanisms are positioned within the channels of the elongated housing. A central member of each slide mechanism has inwardly turned upper end lower edges and a central square hole therethrough. Interior end portions of each central member have blade chambers for holding a razor blade. Each of the slide mechanisms includes a releasable engagement portion disposed within the central hole of its central member. The releasable engagement member includes a pliable tab portion secured to the central member and a push portion secured to a free end of the tab portion. The push portion has upper and lower protrusions extending outwardly therefrom for selectively engaging the teeth of the channels in a locked orientation. Pressing inwardly on the push portion disengages the push portion from the teeth to allow the sliding of the slide mechanism freely within the channel for extending and retracting razor blades positioned within the blade chambers of the slide mechanisms.
In these respects, the multi-purpose knife according to the present invention s ubstantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing multiple blades for convenience of use.